Can opener



A. ZIDOVEC CAN OPENER April 5, 1932.

Filed Sept. 11, 1929 INVENTOR. ,4u6 U7" 2/519 #56 Patented Apr. 5, 1932UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUGUST zmovm, or an: memo, sun-om can 0211mmApplication ma September 11, 1929. Serial no. 881,784.

This invention relates to can openers.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a can opener in whicha traction wheel and a fixed blade are moved on a sub- .t stantiallyarcuate path toward each other to cause the puncturing of the top of thecan by the blade and to grlp the rim of the can between the wheel andthe blade; means being provided to allow the rotation of the wheel Wthereby to move the blade around the inner periphery of the rim of thecan, shearing old the top of the can thereat; the initial rotation ofthe wheel causing the said puncture oi the can, the strain exerted bythe han- 3W dles being very slight.

Another object of the invention is the provision out a fixed blade for acan Opener, the cutting edge of which tilts the top of the can upwardlyat an angle, before the top is comm pletely severed from the can, thusfacilitating the removal of the top from the can; an edge oi the bladebeing so formed as to lim1t the angle to which the top is tilted by theopener.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a can opener ofthe above mentioned type, with a guide member for the traction wheel,which is pivoted on one of said handles, and guided by the other handleoi the can opener; the said member being bent to cause the can to beheld by said can opener at a proper angle, out of engagement with theface of the traction wheel and against the underside of the rim of thecan.

l'lther objects and advantages are to provide a can opener that will besuperior in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness of construction,positiveness of operation, and facility and convenience in use andgeneral eiliciency.

in this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention isillustrated in the term considered to be the best, but it is to be sunderstood that the invention is not limited to such form, because itmay be embodied in other forms; and it is also to be understood that inand by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover theinvention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawingswherein Fig. 1 is a side view of the can opener;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; i

Fig. 3 is a side view of the can opener showmg the relative disengagedpositlon of the blade and the traction wheel;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the can opener in cutting position relativelyto the can;

' Fig. 5 is a side view of the can opener, and the. can in position whenthe cut is nearly completed, showing the tilting of the top of the can;t

Fig. 6 is a side view of the cutting blade on of the can opener; and

Fig. 7 is a face view of the cutting blade.

In my can opener a handle 6 has an en: larged end 7 thereon, to which isivotally secured another handle 8 by a suitable pivot pin 9. On the.enlarged end 7 and spaced from the pivot 9 is provided another pivot 11by means of which a guide member 12 is swingably attached to saidenlarged end, An edge 13 of the guide member portion on the It end 7 iscurved. The adjacent end 14 of the other handle 8 is bent and rebent to.form a U shaped recess 16 fitting over the curved end of the guidemember 12, to slidably guide a c the same.

On one side of the depending portion of the guide member 12 is rotatablyheld a traction wheel 17. The pin 18 of the wheel 17 extends to theother side of the guide member 12, and has a wing handle 19 mounted atthereon, thru which the wheel 17 may be rotated at will. The outer edges6f the bent end 141- of the handle 8, on the side nearer the tractionwheel 1'? are flared outwardly to form flanges 20. These flanges 20provide a larger bearing surface thereat, for the rim of the can to beopened.

In the outer face of the handle end- 14 is fixedly held a cutting blade21, by means of a screw 22. The cutting edge of said blade 21 extends inthe direction of the wheel 17 so that when the handles are moved intogripping position, the cutting edge of the blade 21 overlaps the wheel17. It is to be noted that the, blade 21 is disposed at an I han atemovement of the depending portion of theguide 12 and. the wheel 17thereon, toward the cutting blade 17.

In operation, before the grip portions of the handles 6 and 8 arebrought toward each other, the periphery of the traction wheel 17 isheld a ainst the underside of the rim 23 of the ca 24. The tractionwheel 17 is preferably toothed, to permit the firm engagement thereofwith the rim 23. The grip portions of the handles 6 and 8 are then movedtoward each other, but it is notnecessary to accomplish the piercing ofthe can by the force exerted upon the grip portions of the handles 6 and8. ,By giving a sli ht strain to the handles 6 and 8 when in t erightposition to pierce the top of the can, the opener is held in position.Then the traction wheel 17 is turned slightly. Inasmuch as the teeth ofthe wheel 17 are pressed into the rim of the can, the turning of thewheel draws the guide member 12 into the recess 16, thus causing theblade to the top of the can. After the can is plerced the guide member12 remains firmly locked within said recess 16 thruout the entirecutting operation. This piercing requires aminimum 'efiort due to theshearing action of the angularly disposed blade 21 and the lever-' ageexerted thereon by the handles 6 and 8. The wheel 17 is then rotated ina contraclockwise direction, viewing Fig. 5, whereby the can is turnedalso in a contraclockwise direction, viewing the topof the can. As thecan is turned, it is held by the opener, as a unitary handle, andthe'edge of the top isadvanced against the cutting edge of the blade 21,and issheared thereby. During this operation the flanges 20 hold theopener in balanced position, preventin the tilting thereof. This guidingaction 1s especially important when the can opener must follow a s arpcurve of the can contour, such as the corners of a square can. Thus thetop is cut out of the can with great facility. The guide member 12 is atall times, during the cutting, firmly interlocked with the handles andthe can, absorbing all the strain from the handles due to cutting. A

Usually when the top is completely severed from the rim of a can, itdrops on the top of the content of the can, and its removal from the canis diflicult and unsanitary. In order to prevent the dropping of the topinto the can, and to facilitate the removal thereof, the cutting edge ofthe blade 21 is so formed as to cause the tilting of the top, thusbringpierce ing a portion of the top out ofthe can, permitting thegrasping and the ready removal thereof. For thls purpose the cuttingedge of the blade 21 is formed in a substantially V-shaped chamferededge 26, having a rounded intermediate point 27. The corner 28 0f theedge 26 is squared, the chamfer of the edge endingabruptly thereat. Thebottom of the blade at the edges is slightly convex.

It is to be noted that the can is rotated by r the wheel 17 so that thetop thereof moves of, inthe manner indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5.The half ofthe top of the side of the squared corner-28 tilts upwardly,out of the can 24. This action, in some instances, may cause the top toentirely fly off the can.

However, on my can opener the squared corner 28 limits the amountoftilting of the .top. The can openeris removed from the can by ,movingthe outer ends'of the handles 6 and 8 apart from each other, whereby thewheel 17 is moved away from the rim. 23, and the grilplon the rim 23 isreleased.

order to hold the can 24 on an incline, free from the face of the wheel17, the free end and partly the outer side edges of the dependin portionof the guide member 12 are bent beyond the plane of the wheel 17,forming guides 29. The guides 29 rest against the side of the can,directly below the wheel 17 ,causing the can to assume the angularposition, shown in Fig. 4, and insuring the contact of the toothed perihery of the wheel f 17 with the underside of t e rim 23, withoutpermitting any frictional contact between the si7de of the can 24, andthe face of the wheel 1 It is to be noted that the can is not held bythe operator of the opener,.but by thegripped and the can remains firmlylocked in the opener, so that it cannot slip during the operation of theopener. The can opener heretofore described may be used on either roundor square or any other shape cans.

In connection with the tilting of the cut off can top by the blade, itis to be noted that, the cut .top or cover is tilted not only around therespective diameter of the top 'but also upwardly around an axistangentialto the top at said small uncut edge portion of the rim, thusholding the rim thereat, to a position approximately parallel with theplane of the handles. When the can opener blade tilts, bends, or foldsthe cut cover vertically, that is from the edge of the rim upward, theoperator can at will, while holding the can with the can opener, pushforward a forefin ger of his left hand, thereby to hold the can and alsoto press the cut cover against the face of the blade. Thus, the cutcover or top of the can is removed together with the detachment of thecam opener. For holding the cut and tilted cover against the face of theblade, a receptacle or holding finger may be provided on the openeritself, so as to reeeive the cut cover therein.

lE-lavin g thus described this invention, what it claim and desire tosecure by Letters ?atcut is:

l. in a can opener, two handles pivotally secured to each otherintermediate their ends; a guide member pivoted on one end of onehandle. the respective end of the other handle being formed with arecess to guide said guide member therein; a traction wheel rotatable ona depending portion of the guide member; a cutting blade fixed on therecessed end of the second handle in overlapping relation to saidtraction wheel when the opener is in operative position, said wheel andsaid blade, when moved in said overlapping relation, being adapted togrip the rim of a can therebetween; and means to permit rotation of thewheel thereby to rotate the can to rotate the periphery of the topthereof against the said blade to be cut thereat.

2. in a can opener, two handles pivot-ally secured to each otherintermediate their ends; a guide member pivoted on one end of onehandle, the respective end of the other handle being formed with arecess to guide said guide member therein; a traction wheel rotatable ona depending portion of the guide member; a cutting blade fixed on therecessed end of the second handle in overlapping relation to saidtraction wheel when the opener is in operative position, said wheel andsaid blade, when moved in said overlapping relation, being adapted togrip the rim of a can therebetween; means to permit rotation of thewheel thereby to rotate the can to rotate the periphery of the topthereof against the said blade to be cut thereat; and proiect-ions onsaid guide arranged to hold the can in inclined position, away from theface of the wheel.

5. In a can opener, two handles pivotally secured to each otherintermediate their ends; a guide member pivoted on one end of onehandle, the respective end of the other handle being formed with arecess to guide said guide member therein; a traction wheel at rotatableon a depending portion of the guide member; a cutting'blade fixed on therecessed end of'thesecond handle in overlapping relation to saidtraction Wheel when the opener is in operative position, said wheel andsaid blade, when moved in said overlapping relation, being adapted togrip the rim ofa can therebetween; and means to permit rotation of thewheel, thereby to r0- tate the can to rotate the periphery of the topthereof, against the said blade, to be out thereat, said blade beingadapted to tilt the top of the can when theblade is nearing the startingpoint of the cut.

a. In a can opener, two handles pivotally secured to each otherintermediate their ends; a guide member pivoted on one end of onehandle, the respective end of the other handle being formed with arecess to guide said guide member therein; a traction wheel rotatable ona depending portion of the guide member; a cutting blade fixed 0n therecessed end of the second handle in overlapping relation to saidtraction wheel when the opener is in operative posltion, said wheel andsaid blade, when moved in said overlapping relation, being adapted togrip the rim of a cam therebetween; means to permit rotation of thewheel thereby to rotate the can to rotate the periphery of the topthereof against the said blade to be cut thereat; and projections onsaid guide arranged to hold the can ininclined position, away from theface of the wheel, said blade being adapted to tilt the top of the can,when the blade is nearing the starting point of the cut.

5. In a can opener, two handles pivot'ally secured to each otherintermediate their ends; a guide member pivoted on one end of onehandle, the respective end of the other handle being formed with arecess to guide said guide member therein; a traction wheel rotatable ona depending portion of the guide member; acutting blade fixed 'on therecessed end of the second handle in overlapping relation to saidtraction wheel when the opener is in operative position, said wheel andsaid blade, when moved in saidoverlapping relation, being adapted togrip the rim of a can therebetween and means to permit rotation of thewheel, thereby to rotate the can to rotate the periphery of the topthereof against the said blade, to be cut thereat, said guide memberhaving arcuate edges at the end thereof riding in said recess of theother handle, coacting with said recess for holding the opener againstaccidental disengagementfrom the rim.

6. In a can opener, two pivoted handles, a pivoted wheel carrying memberon one handie; a traction wheel rotatably secured on said member; anarcuate guide formed at the corresponding end of the other handle toreceive and guide said member on an arouate path;a fixed blade on theguide end of 4- a I r 1,852,889

the second handle, arranged to the riin of a can \between the blade an te wheel,

,when moved toward each other b the pivotal movement of the handles, anto pierce the top of a can thereat; and means to ]permit rotation of thetraction wheel at wi rotate the can, thereby to cause the cutting of thetop by said blade.

7. In a can opener, two pivoted handles, a ivoted wheel carrymg memberon one han t 1e; a traction Wheel rotatably secured on said member; anarcuate guide formed at the correspondingend of the other handle toreceive and ide said member on an arcuate path; a xedblade on the guideend of the second handle, arranged to grip the rim of a can between theblade and t e wheel, when moved toward each other by the pivotalmovement of the handles, and to pierce the top of a can thereat; andmeans to permit rotation of the traction wheel at will,

/ to rotate the can, thereby to cause the cutting of the top by saidblade, said guide member being adapted to be firmly interlocked with thehandles during the operation of the opener.

8. In a can opener, two handles pivotally secured to each otherintermediate their ends; a guide member pivoted on one end of onehandle, the respective end of the other handle being formed with arecess to guide said guide member therein; a traction wheel rotatable ona depending portion of the guide member; a cutting blade fixed on therecessed end of the second handle, in over lapping relation to saidtraction wheel,

when the opener is in operative position, said wheel and said blade,when moved in said overlapping relation being adapted to grip the rim ofa can therebetween; a guide flange iormed on the edge of said recessedend, on the side nearer to said traction wheel, for guiding engagementwith the rim of the can; and means to permit rotation of the wheelthereby to rotate the can to rotate the periphery of the top'thereofagainst the said blade to be cut thereat.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco,California, this (it day of September, 1929.

AUGUST ZIDOVEC.

